PORTERDALE, Ga. — Julie Freeman, the owner of Yellow River Ale House and Sportsman's Grille, was taken into custody by officers with the Porterdale Police Department on Thursday afternoon for two counts of theft of services.

According to a statement from the Porterdale Police Department, at approximately 5 p.m., officers acted on two arrest warrants for Freeman after a Jeep in which she was the passenger was pulled over due to a suspended registration.

The warrants stem from complaints that Freeman had failed to pay some of her employees for their work at the Yellow River Ale House.

“Porterdale officers received multiple complaints regarding theft of services, and a thorough investigation was conducted,” per the statement. “Porterdale Officer Brent Morrison obtained probable cause, and arrest warrants were issued for Julie Freeman. The warrants were for two misdemeanor counts of Theft of Services (OCGA 16-8-5). She was also cited for suspended registration.”

The Covington News obtained two police reports—dated June 24 and July 23, via a Sept. 10 open records request—and is working to determine if any additional reports have been filed in recent weeks.

Both reports were filed by employees with the Yellow River Ale House, who say they received checks for Freeman that did not clear when being deposited.

“[Employee] stated that FSNB sent him a message that the maker of the check did not have sufficient funds in her account,” one report said.

Both reports say that the employees contacted Freeman initially, but had not received payment by the date of the filing. 

The checks were reportedly in the amount of $488 and $667.64, respectively.

This arrest does not relate to a claim made in federal bankruptcy court on Tuesday, which alleges Freeman embezzled $5.6 million from a medical company over a two-and-a-half-year span while working as a contracted chief financial officer.

In the same bankruptcy filing, Freeman allegedly owes several months in back rent to the landlords of the Yellow River Ale House and Sportsman’s Grille, Hutch Bros LLC.

Freeman told The News on Tuesday that she denied both of these claims and she currently does not face criminal charges in relation to the alleged embezzlement. This came prior to Thursday’s arrest.

Freeman’s now-defunct coffee shop, @Local Coffee House, was closed after facing eviction in July.

The PPD asks that anyone with further information related to the theft of services investigation contact Officer Morrison at 770-786-2226 or bmorrison@cityofporterdale.com.